


The Lonely Scarecrow

by CVVC



Category: Naruto
Genre: Akatsuki Hatake Kakashi, BAMF Hatake Kakashi, BAMF Uchiha Itachi, BAMF Uchiha Sasuke, BAMF Uzumaki Naruto, Blood and Gore, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Hatake Kakashi is a Troll, Hatake Kakashi-centric, Hokage Uchiha Itachi, Missing-Nin Hatake Kakashi, Smart Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Itachi Being a Good Brother, Uchiha Itachi-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:14:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29578710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CVVC/pseuds/CVVC
Summary: Kakashi takes the fall for Itachi  at the Uchiha Massacre.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 81





	1. Prologue

It was a dark and gritty evening. The crows cawed ominously. 

Itachi loomed over the Uchiha clan's unsuspecting members, as he resolved himself. He knew what had to be done. He was not sure if he had the strength for it.

He soon reached the girl whom he liked, Izumi, so he could give her a quick death. He used Tsukiyomi to show her their life together, without this painful day. In which he proposed to her after she hit Chunin, and they had children and lived happily ever after.

It nearly exhausted him. 

_It's the least I can do for her._

He then started with unsuspecting members in the police force headquarters. He had not signed up to be a kin-slayer. 

But the village came first. 

**It would always come first.**

One slash at a time, doing it from the back so he wouldn't have to see their faces of shock and desperation, so he wouldn't have to see their betrayed faces as he slammed his tanto into their guts. 

The adults and elders were the easy bit. Killing them was logical, he told himself. They were causing a rebellion, so they had to be stopped.

_It's for the good of Konoha._

But when he started with the children, he was so disgusted with himself. He was killing innocent children. He knew that as a shinobi, he would be expected to do these things, but this, this was not what he signed up for!

Each time he stabbed one of them, he would see Sasuke's face instead of theirs, looking at him, shocked, afraid, paralyzed, and betrayed.

He stabbed her, watching as the life faded from her eyes, as she uttered, "Thank you"

Itachi was crying. He was in pain. 

_The village comes first._

He steeled himself as he went to meet his parents.

When he reached them, his father said, "So you chose the village," as he plunged his sword his back.

His mother told him, "Take care of Sasuke" as he did the same to her.

Itachi wept in pain.

He got up. He had to leave the village, become a missing-nin.

He could not allow his clan's reputation to be tarnished by their near coup.

As he was rising, he heard, "Itachi, stand down."

He turned around to see Kakashi in full gear, with his own Mangekyou in full display.

"I don't want to do this Senpai," Itachi said.

"Neither do I, Itachi," said Kakashi. 

The air was soon filled with the sound of a thousand chirping birds.

Kakashi lunged at Itachi with his Chidori.

**Earlier that day,**

Kakashi had a bad feeling. 

The sun was out, there were no clouds in the sky, he was just back from another "suicide mission", somehow alive. He was back in Konoha after a month outside the village. It was good to be back home.

But his gut kept screaming, _Something is going on_. 

_It's nothing! Just a PTSD-ridden mind going haywire!_

Of course, it was! What else would it be? Just his mind going haywire because of all these "suicide missions" he's been doing.

And what a brilliant job these "suicide missions" have done! He's still alive, after all. He's managed to survive by just a hair's breadth every time.

His messed-up survivor's luck kept had him alive alright. He'd complete more and more dangerous missions every time he survived. 

Each time he survived, he'd gotten better.

Now, he could pull off a hundred Jutsu in a battle.

He felt that was unfortunate. He'd have happily died if not for his growing skill. 

He didn't want to do it himself either. He was too darn afraid to do it himself. 

His gut screamed, " _Something bad is going to happen!"_

" _Shut up!"_ He told himself, " _Nothing bad is going to happen!"_

After all, what could go wrong?

His dear kohai, Itachi, not that he had any hand in training him except in ANBU, had been promoted to ANBU captain last month, when he was last in the village, with the position of Hokage within the next two years, if the Sandaime's desperation to retire was any indication.

His dear kohai, Tenzou had started coming out of his emotional shell, letting people in, the rest of ANBU was doing swimmingly, the war was gone, Konoha was ushering in an era of peace, her people happy and prosperous.

" _So why does this feel like the calm before a storm?"_

He went to the Third Hokage to report his mission. Entering through the window, unnoticed by anyone, and kneeled before the third, and said, "Mission successful, Hokage-sama. Sand shinobi were eliminated during their mission for their Daimyo and there are no traces that will connect them to us. Even to the trained shinobi eye, it will look like sheer incompetence. Partially because they were half-baked shinobi, thanks to my previous efforts" he chuckled.

Hiruzen took his pipe, smoked a little, and said, "Good, Kaze no Kuni's Daimyo will have no choice but to come to us. What with Suna shinobi being worthless to him. 

Thanks to your efforts in fueling the civil war ongoing in Kiri, even Mizu no Kuni's Daimyo is giving us a majority of their missions." 

"Now, I want to speak to Kakashi, the man, not Inu the ANBU captain"

Kakashi removed his mask and asked, "What is it, Hokage-sama?"

"What do you intend to do with your life Kakashi? Do you intend to spend the rest of it, like this, in ANBU, taking all these missions, trying to kill yourself through these missions?" Kakashi flinched at that. "Why are doing all of this?"

"I just want to serve Konoha"

"Oh cut me the bull crap Kakashi. We both know that you can serve Konoha just as well from the inside, as a Jounin, taking on students, helping the next generation grow. Serving Konoha is not why you are doing this. Why don't you stop blaming yourself for the deaths of your teammates and your Sensei? You are not responsible for it. And if you feel so responsible, then why don't you take care of his only legacy, why don't you take care of Naruto?"

Kakashi had kept away from Naruto the same way he stayed out of the village, by going on one mission after another. 

The kid was far too similar to Minato-sensei! Every time he saw the kid, he was reminded of sensei, he was reminded of his failure.

His guilt crept up to him. He felt like killing himself.

But he couldn't tell that to Hiruzen. He couldn't tell that to anyone. So he kept quiet. Didn't let anyone in. Pushed everyone away. Closed himself off, and curled deep into his self-loathing life. 

_I don't deserve more._

_I am a shinobi. Just a tool. Tools like me aren't supposed to feel emotion._

"You've spent eight years in ANBU. Is that not enough of time to figure out that you weren't responsible for the things you blame yourself for?" Hiruzen sighed as he continued, "Leave ANBU, and help Naruto if you blame yourself so much for Minato's death. You will leave ANBU, this isn't a request. It's an order. Today is the last day you spend as Konoha ANBU. A bunch of students is graduating in a few months. I'll assign you a team."

Kakashi was about to protest, but Hiruzen said, "That is an order, Kakashi. Your time in ANBU is done! Leave!"

So he did. He wandered around Konoha aimlessly. He felt like he didn't have a purpose. He could do as Hiruzen told him to, reach out to Naruto, but he was afraid. Afraid that just like everyone else in his life, he would cause Naruto's death as well.

So instead, he went to his apartment. He opened his copy of Icha Icha. But even this didn't seem to be a distraction enough. He'd read many times before and long since memorized the entire book. He knew Icha Icha was just another farce that he put up. Not only to trick others but also to trick himself into a sense of normalcy. Into believing that his life wasn't broken. Into believing that he actually had one.

He threw the book onto his bed in frustration. 

He hated himself.

He decided to actually do something right and go meet sensei's kid. The least he could do was be there for him.

He wore a standard jonin outfit as he walked out.

He ignored his screaming guts as he walked out towards the academy, unnoticed by everyone.

He reached the shinobi academy in a short while. He saw Itachi giving his younger brother a piggyback ride home. From the shadows, he saw Naruto, on a swing, all by himself.

When he looked at Naruto, he could easily make out Minato-sensei's and Kushina-nee's features. He just stared at Naruto from the shadows. He couldn't bring himself to go meet him.

He was too afraid.

So he went back to his apartment.

Once there, he started writing a scroll to Naruto. In it, he put in instructions for various jutsu and techniques, such as Shadow clones, tree-walking, water-walking, henge, kawarimi, chakra control exercises, exercises to increase control of the elements, and many basic elemental jutsu. He also put in a chakra paper to determine his affinity.

In the end, he signed, _Your well-wisher_.

He didn't have the guts to sign his own name on it.

He dropped it off at Naruto's apartment and waited till he arrived.

When Naruto first saw the letter and scroll addressed to him, he wasn't sure of it. He opened it and went through the contents of the scroll painstakingly, he didn't know how to read kanji that well...

Kakashi was watching Naruto from the shadows. He saw Naruto's face brighten up as he went through the scroll. 

_Is this what sensei used to feel? When he taught us something?_

Once he was finished with the contents of the scroll, Naruto looked up and said, "I don't know who you are well-wisher, but I will master everything in here! I will become the Hokage, believe it!"

 _I like seeing Naruto smile_. Kakashi decided, he'd do this more often, actually visit Naruto soon. 

When he saw Naruto smile, it felt like something in him, something buried deep in his heart came back up. He felt happy again.

He stayed, watching Naruto practice the shadow clone jutsu. It took only an hour and a half to master it.

Kakashi left, to go home, with a smile underneath that mask of his.

On his way home, he was interrupted by an ANBU, "Hokage sama has summoned you." He also flared his chakra in ANBU code for- be there in full gear, a high-level intruder.

So he shushined back home, put on his gear, and went to the Hokage office in under twenty seconds.

"Hokage sama"

Hiruzen said, "Intruder in the Uchiha district. He's been unnoticed since he entered. Be wary. We may be dealing with an ANBU defector who came back."

Only ANBU knew how to stay unnoticed even if they set off the barrier system. It could also be a teleporter. Like sensei. Teleporters could stay unnoticed as well.

Only one man had defected that fit the parameters. 

And wasn't that great?

They were either dealing with Orochimaru or someone unknown with teleportation jutsu.

He rushed to the site of intrusion. 

He hoped it was Orochimaru. Better a known enemy than an unknown one.

He summoned his dogs. He ordered them, "High-level intruder. Possibly Orochimaru. Find any scent you can and track it down!" 

It took the dogs a while of sniffing until Pakkun came and said, "We have good news and bad news."

"Go ahead"

"It's not Orochimaru."

"What did you find?"

"Nothing"

Kakashi was not happy about this, An unknown teleporter was not good news.

The sun had started to set.

He and his dogs finally caught a scent near the clan compound and started tracking it down and it ended at the Uchiha clan fence. He entered, stealthily to make sure they didn't find him. There he saw Itachi on a pole, and Itachi started to attack his clan members.

So this was how Hiruzen was dealing with the coup. He'd known about it since he was guarding Hiruzen through most of the talks involving the Uchiha. All that talk about peace and the village wasn't even willing to let the Uchiha stay in the same vicinity as the rest of it. No wonder they wanted to coup. And _this_ was how Hiruzen was dealing with it.

_Pathetic!_

The worst part is that Itachi would be forced to leave the village. Not on his watch. He flared his chakra, to let his team know that he needed them here, emergency.

Tenzou, Genma, and Yugao were there in less than half a minute.

He ordered them to take anyone twelve and younger to the hospital as soon as possible.

After giving them orders, he went to the house of Fugaku, to find Itachi killing his parents.

He sent a shadow clone to fight Itachi.

While his shadow clone confronted Itachi, he hid underground.

The Shadow CLone said, "Itachi, stand down!"

Itachi turned around to see Shadow clone in full gear, with his own Mangekyou in full display.

"I don't want to do this Senpai," Itachi said.

"Neither do I, Itachi," said Kakashi. 

The air was soon filled with the sound of a thousand chirping birds.

Kakashi lunged at Itachi with his Chidori.

Itachi's eye spun revealing his Mangekyou Sharingan. 

He said, "You forced me to do this, Senpai,"

Itachi's eye shed tears of blood as he used Amaterasu, burning Kakashi's clone.

Once Kakashi's clone burned down, with nothing left of it, Itachi wheezed in exhaustion and misery. 

Just as he thought everything was finished, Kakashi's hand, clad in Chidori punched through the ground. 

Itachi was only saved by his reflexes.

Itachi wanted to use Amaterasu again ad end this once and for all.

But Kakashi was relentless in his attacks. Not even giving Itachi a moment to use Amaterasu and Tsukiyomi, making sure to not make eye contact and not staying in the same place for him to use Amaterasu.

He shattered Itachi's tanto with his Chidori.

With each attack, he pushed Itachi further back, cutting him more and more.

Itachi soon found himself pushed to the wall. 

Kakashi was already onto him, his Chidori slamming into the wall, Itachi surviving by a hair's breadth yet again. Kakashi then said, "Raiton: Denji Myakudo"[Lightning Style: Electromagnetic Pulse]

The Chidori in his arm burst out in a large sphere of electromagnetic radiation, hitting Itachi's head causing him to roll over. 

Itachi saw Kakashi looming over him, just like he had over the clan. 

Just as Kakashi was about to unleash a final attack, Sasuke entered the home, looking scared.

Sasuke saw his brother bloodied from too many cuts to count, "N-N-Nii-san, who is this man? What is happening?"

Sasuke was shivering in fear. His parents lay dead, his brother was nearly defeated. His clan, killed. 

Itachi was distracted by Sasuke. Kakashi took this opportunity to strike at Itachi's shoulder, shattering his bone and cutting the nerves in the process. He then removed his arm from Itachi's shoulder, leaving a gaping hole where his shoulder used to be. 

Itachi was dizzy, he was in pain, he was losing blood too quickly. He fell down, not able to stand. He supposes Kakashi's previous lightning jutsu he was hit with has something to do with it, along with all the other blood he's lost.

"Nii-san!" screamed Sasuke, as he saw his brother fall.

Itachi attempted to scream, "Sasuke! Run away!" 

But it only came as a whisper, as he faded out of consciousness.

Kakashi applied a seal onto Itachi.

Itachi's body went limp, motionless.

Kakashi had applied a medical stasis seal, used to prevent shinobi from dying when it could be avoided. 

But Sasuke didn't know that. He thought Itachi was dead.

He asked, shivering in fear and panic, "What did you do?"

Kakashi said, "I killed him, just like I killed everyone else in your clan" He held up his bloodied hand as proof.

"But why would you do that? Kill your own clan?" Asked Sasuke.

Of course, Sasuke thought he was an Uchiha. The kid didn't have reason to assume he wasn't one.

Kakashi said, "I am not an Uchiha. This eye," he pointed at his eye, "belonged to a friend. He gave me the eye as a last gift as he died, crushed under a rock saving my life."

"But your clan didn't accept his sacrifice and accused me of killing him. Why would I kill my best friend? I couldn't take it, so I murdered your clan!" He didn't want to tell anyone about Obito, but he needed a somewhat logical reason, for people to believe that he was the murderer.

Sasuke just stared in horror.

Kakashi threw a kunai at Sasuke and said, "You want revenge, kid? Go ahead, try it"

Sasuke saw the kunai. He glanced between Itachi's limp body and the kunai. 

He was afraid. He was angry. 

Fueled by rage, he lunged at Kakashi, his eyes evolving into the Sharingan.

Kakashi just kicked him back, without any effort and said, "I'll spare your life. After all, 

**dead men tell no tales** "

He then left the house. On his way out, he found his team taking some kids. He told them, "Itachi is in his house. In a stasis seal. His brother is unharmed. Take them to the hospital afterward."

After giving them orders, he went to the Hokage's office. There he found Hiruzen. Upon entering, Hiruzen saw his bloodied hand and uniform, erected privacy seals.

He said, "Report"

"The intruder was not found. Most likely a teleporter"

Hiruzen sighed that was not good.

Kakashi continued, "I am taking the fall for Itachi. I put him in a stasis seal. My team has most likely taken him to the hospital by now. I want Itachi to live happily in Konoha with his brother. My team also saved all Uchiha children. I'll know if anything happens to them. And you know best what happens, to villages I mess with."

Saying so, he shushined out of the place.

Hiruzen sighed as he smoked. Hiruzen looked at the sky and sighed in defeat and anger. This was not the way he wanted the Uchiha issue to go. 


	2. Kakashi I

Kakashi ran after leaving Konoha. He was now a missing-nin. He soon reached the border of Hi no Kuni. He was near Nami no Kuni.

He'd left an ANBU hideout here. Omitted from even his reports to the Hokage. No one knew of its existence other than him. 

The nature of his missions necessitated such a hideout.

Konoha could **never** be implicated.

If he ever got caught sabotaging another village, he had to declare himself rogue, lest he becomes the cause of another war.

Many smaller villages and even Suna and Kiri could blame their downfall on him.

Never had he thought he'd end up here after an inside job, taking the fall for someone else. He, the friend killer, sacrificing his life for someone else! Most Konoha shinobi would find that pretty hilarious. They would also believe that he was the murderer in a heartbeat. 

Itachi murdering his own clan was illogical to people. Itachi was such an outstanding kid, such a great person. He was kind to everyone. Such a person, murdering their kin, was illogical to people.

Kakashi doing the same thing, however, was very logical to them. He was a shut-in. Nobody saw him in the village other than Guy and his ANBU team. 

His father had been held responsible for starting the third great war. He already had killed comrades. So why wouldn't he do it again?

"Like father like son," they'd say.

They'd probably find a way to blame him for the Kyuubi attack as well. They knew the Sharingan could control the Kyuubi, and he had the Sharingan. Most people also widely accepted that he was the best user of the Sharingan despite not being an Uchiha. Something even most Uchiha would begrudgingly agree to. After all, he was called Sharingan no Kakashi, and no Uchiah was given that Epithet. They'd blame everything on him if they could.

They would pin every major defeat of Konoha on him, if that were possible, just to alleviate their own guilt. They would pin all the blame of the massacre on him just so that they could feel better about themselves, about their ignorance and oppression of the once-great clan.

He reviled the shinobi system that led to this. The shinobi system that he was a product of. The worst part, he supposes, is that he is the problem as well. 

He had willingly destroyed the lives of thousands of others. All of Suna was now going to suffer because of him. Thousands were dying in Kiri, partly because he decided to make what was already bad much worse. Waterfall barely had the money for their kunai. He could go on and on about the lives he's destroyed.

All for what?

For Konoha?

No... He hadn't done anything for Konoha in the past eight years.

Everything was done in a misguided attempt trying to kill himself through battle.

The hideout was the same as he'd left it, under too many layers of genjutsu and seals to count. If someone didn't know that there was a usable hideout here, they wouldn't find it. Hell, most people wouldn't find it even if they did know it was here.

He bypassed them easily and entered the place. There were so many cobwebs. There were seals all around that alert him if anyone else were there.

He didn't have a lot of cash on him. Not a lot of food either. He had expected to find himself in his apartment, come morning, not in a hideout.

The rations in here wouldn't last him longer than a week. Not if he wanted to be able to fend off other shinobi.

For now, he crashed onto the couch he had left in here. He needed to find some jobs, as a missing-nin.

Over the past few years, not only had he sabotaged foreign villages, but also the missing-nin. His efforts had made it nigh impossible for missing-nin to find missions.

To think that the things he's done all those years would finally achieve their purpose, if only by starving him to death.

He laughed. What else could he do? He would now have to take A-rank missions for C-rank prices.

He was a missing-nin now. The fact had just begun sinking in. The gravity of it started to sink in. His friends would now be hunting him. He'd have to fight people whom he had called comrades a few hours ago.

He just couldn't stop laughing. He removed his ANBU mask. Threw it down, broke it. He took out his headband. 

Taking a kunai, he severed the leaf on the headband.

Once something he took pride in, now a liability to him.

He needed to remove all seals placed on him during his ANBU career.

So he made a clone.

His clone started the painful process of removing all the seals on him. Took him a while. 

But once it was done, Kakashi felt a form of freedom.

Now, he'd have to place new seals on himself. 

New seals to keep him hidden. Seals that would keep him safe. A seal to absorb all chakra hit at hit and a seal that repels all physical attacks using the user's chakra.

This hadn't been tried before, so he'd try it on a shadow clone first. If it worked, he would be able to stay alive for a while.

He started placing the matrices for the seals. After he was done, he made a small fireball in his hand and hurled it into the clone. 

As he hit the clone, the seals glowed a bright red before exploding outwards.

Kakashi was pushed back by the force of the explosion. He winced as he got back up.

Looking at the scarred ground underneath where the clone stood, he thought to himself, _Thank god that was just a clone. Despite the failure, the seal is still going to be useful. An explosion seal on someone else... Explosive clones for the chakra cost of a regular shadow clone... The possibilities are endless._

He wrote down the seal matrices on a separate piece of paper. He'd need it for future experimentation.

Now, he needed to eat some food.

He staggered his way to the closet where he'd put scrolls with rations. He opened it and started eating. 

The food was tasteless. 

God, he wished he could just sleep. He hoped that this entire day would turn out to be just a bad dream. That he was still returning from his mission sabotaging Suna. That none of this shit happened.

_Like I'll ever get that lucky._

He crashed on his makeshift bed so this day would finally end for him.

**The next day,**

Kakashi woke up early in the morning. 

His biological clock waking him up after four and a half hours of sleep. As soon as he woke up, he wanted to take a shower.

But then he remembered, this hideout had no plumbing to speak of.

He'd need a long line from a source of water for that. If he got a long line of water, he'd have to cloak all of it. 

If he cloaked something that long, there would be genjutsu and seals for a very long distance, and it'd be a dead giveaway to his location. He couldn't afford that.

He'd need to go to the beach or a nearby stream for a bath. He groaned in frustration. The life of a missing-nin was not easy. He almost regretted what he did to missing-nin all those years as ANBU.

Almost being the keyword.

Fortunately, clothing would never be a problem. There were enough clothes in the closet.

He performed his daily warmup routine before doing some harsh physical training. He had to be at his absolute peak if he came across anyone who could find him. He couldn't train in ninjutsu here. He didn't want to destroy what little furniture was here. He'd need to find a nice clearing to train in peace without alerting anyone. So until that time came, he'd have to double down on taijutsu.

After about two hours of physical training and taijutsu training against his clone, he stopped and decided to go to the nearest stream. It took him a few minutes to find a secluded stream. Once he reached there, he stripped bare and entered the stream. The cold water around him made him feel relaxed. He stood there within the water, as the sun rose, to a new day. After bathing, Kakashi washed all of his clothes from yesterday, dried them, and soon, he was back in his hideout.

He now needed breakfast. He also needed a mission. While he could get the former at his hideout, he'd have to go out for the latter.

Fortunately, he knew just the place to get both.

There was a shady bar-restaurant in a nearby town. It served as a hotspot for missing-nin and the naive fools who came here with missions for the missing-nin. 

Kakashi loved these naive fools. They went to missing-nin thinking that a hidden village would never take their mission. 

Oh, how wrong they all were! His own career, all of it off the records, somehow, was proof that Hidden villages didn't have any standards for missions. 

So, he went there to take advantage of these naive fools.

He went to the town, walking like he owned the place. As he walked, few people recognized him. They stopped in their tracks. They stared at him, in awe, in anger, but mostly, they were afraid.

Soon, he was at the bar. As he opened the door, the bells attached to it jingled, alerting the workers that someone had come in.

Most of the patrons didn't notice him at first. But some did, and they stopped in their tracks just like the people on the streets.

In a short while, the entire bar was staring at him silently. If their stares could kill, Kakashi would be dead. He walked to the counter, exuding confidence. He looked at the server at the counter and said, "Give me the best food you've got." 

The man, pale with fear, took his first chance to get away from Kakashi.

From his back, Kakashi heard, "This bar doesn't serve Konoha scum like you."

Kakashi turned around to see a burly Kiri nin, with a sword, with other missing-nin behind him. Kakashi just looked at them, pointed at his slashed headband, and eye-shrugged.

The Kiri-nin said, "Do you seriously expect us to believe that? That Kakashi Hatake, student of the fourth, would go rogue?"

"Yeah. In fact, I even killed a majority of the Uchiha clan." Kakashi said with an eye smile.

"I don't buy it. Why would you?"

"Because I wanted to."

"Just kill him already! He's killed so many of us." shouted someone from the back.

"He can't beat all of us." shouted someone else. There were multiple shouts from these guys.

Kakashi found out hilarious that these guys believed they could take him on. He was S ranked for a reason. He started laughing maniacally.

"What's so funny?" asked the Kiri nin in the front.

Kakashi just laughed and turned around and said, "Bring me my breakfast. I'm hungry."

The Kiri nin put his arm on Kakashi's shoulder and tried to turn him around. Kakashi just moved a little, put his arm behind the guy's head, and then slammed it into the counter, destroying the counter and leaving the missing-nin sprawled on the floor.

"Who's next?" said Kakashi as the server came to him with his breakfast.

The food he was served was ramen. That was good. He hadn't had ramen in a long time. He'd relish this, even if it's not going to be as good as Ichiraku's.

Kakashi chuckled as he took the chopsticks in his hands and said, "Itadakimasu!" Before starting the ramen. A moment later, he was done. The bartender was charmed with his heart beating for Kakashi's face.

Kakashi winnked at him. 

He then turned around and said, "I asked, who's next?"

All the missing-nin screamed and charged at him. Kakashi snorted at their lack of organization. If they worked as a team, they might have been a good warm-up for him. Kakashi masterfully evaded all these ninja, correction, so-called ninja. Ducking under a punch, moving out the way of a kick, rebuffing the odd kunai or sword. It was so darn easy.

He let them take as many shots at him as they wanted to in the first minute. Evading them all with practiced ease. After one minute got over, he said, "My turn!"

He now started to retaliate. The odd nudge here, the slap there, a push here, a pull there, a kick here, a punch there, and soon all these wannabe missing-nin were on the floor, writhing in pain.

He looked at them all and said, "That wasn't even a warm-up." He took out his wallet to pay and asked the guy at the counter, "How much for this breakfast?"

The server said, "50 ryou."

Kakashi looked at him and said, "Put it on my tab." He then looked at the patrons who hadn't attacked him and were cowering in fear, most likely the naive fools here for a mission. Then someone else came inside. A man in his early forties, he looked like a noble. So most likely, an estranged noble wanting him to kill another noble to get his position back. This was the kind of mission he needed now.

The newcomer asked, "Is this where you go for missions?"

Kakashi just eye-smiled. He told the newcomer, "Come sit down with me. We can discuss this mission that you have."

Soon they found themselves in a secluded corner of the restaurant. 

Kakashi called the server and said, "Bring this gentleman the best food you have."

The server nodded and left to prepare another bowl of ramen for the newcomer. 

Kakashi took his time to look at the newcomer. The newcomer had aristocratic features. He had a sharp chin, a well-defined jaw, brown eyes with a bit of yellow in them. 

He felt like he should know this man but couldn't quite figure it out.

He then asked, "What mission do you have for me?"

"I need you to assassinate the present Fire Daimyo and put me up in his position," said the guy.

Wouldn't that be interesting! However, it was out of his client's range.

He said, "While that would be interesting, let's stop joking, shall we?"

The man just looked at Kakashi with his solemn face and said, "I want you to assassinate the present Daimyo and make me the ruler of Hi no Kuni."

Kakashi realized that he wasn't joking. He truly wanted Kakashi to eliminate the current Daimyo.

He asked, "You really thought that going to a random bar would get you a shinobi to do that?"

"Not really, but I don't have any other choice. I can't go to any hidden village, the price will be far greater than what I get, and Konoha will arrest me and execute me as soon as I enter. So I go around looking for someone powerful, praying to the sage that I find someone."

Kakashi said, "You're the Daimyo's brother, aren't you?" He was much leaner now than he was when Kakashi had last seen him. No wonder it took Kakashi a short while to figure out. This man was starving in his exile.

"I am," he replied, "six years ago, my father was assassinated by some shinobi. And I was framed by them. The investigator Konoha sent did not believe me, claiming that the evidence all pointed to me having hired the shinobi to get the throne for myself. I was exiled from Hi no Kuni. I am taking a huge risk to my life by even being here."

Kakashi started laughing maniacally at this point. He couldn't believe this was really happening.

The Daimyo's brother said, "I know you don't believe. Not many do... But I request you to take the mission nonetheless. I can provide you with anything you wish upon my return to the throne."

Kakashi just couldn't stop laughing. 

Kill the Daimyo... 

The thought was so darn funny... 

Because he'd done it before and framed this man in front of him. Kakashi couldn't stop laughing at the irony of the situation.

The Daimyo's brother said, "I request you to help me."

It took Kakashi quite a while to stop laughing. Kakashi finally asked, "You know why I was laughing?"

The Daimyo's brother said, "Obviously, you don't believe me. Why else would you be laughing?"

Kakashi maniacally eye smiled and said, "I believe you alright...

I'm laughing because I was the one who assassinated your father and framed you. I'm laughing at the bloody irony of this situation. You coming to me to request me to do the same thing your brother came to me for."

"You must be kidding, ninja san... My brother would never do that." said the Daimyo's brother in shock.

"Oh, he did alright. Unlike you, though, he had the guts to go to the Hokage with his request." Kakashi said with an eye smile.

Kakashi looked at the man's shocked face. He always took pleasure in seeing shocked faces like that. He said, "If you look at the records of Fire Nation, you'll notice that every time rulership changes hands, there is a significant policy change. Konoha always ends up getting a better deal somehow. Even though Konoha has never been directly involved in policy and law-making negotiations. Why do you think that is?"

Getting no answer, he continued, "That's because, of the five Daimyo who have died since the formation of Konoha, all have been assassinated by Konoha."

The Daimyo's brother's eyes widened, "That's not possible. All of them died through a congenital disease which drove them insane."

"Then why do you think only the ruler had ever had the disease? If it was congenital, then shouldn't the brothers of the rulers have the disease as well?" asked Kakashi.

"Maybe it is like a Kekkei Genkai. Some kids get it, some don't," said the Daimyo's brother.

"They were all poisoned with Manganese. Their food was doped with it in vast quantities. It drove them insane and forced the doctors to medically kill them because they were a danger to their family and to themselves.

"Konoha itself doesn't have any records of this. But it turns out, every Daimyo who had their father killed wrote their actions out in their journals, which their children managed to find.

"Your ancestors were dumb people. Something about wanting to find peace with their heinous actions," he scoffed as he continued, "Of course, that's just one explanation...

"Reality though is that Konoha left the only records of any this happening nearby where someone who wanted the throne would find it...

"I was also the one who planted the journals where your younger brother, now Daimyo, would find them. I also put a mild genjutsu into his mind that amplified the inner desires in his mind. I got him into positions where he'd perceive the power of Daimyo.

"I took that small wish in his mind to become Daimyo and turned it into an obsession. And then, I put those records of his ancestors' actions into his grasp.

"Once that was done, he was in Konoha, demanding that we do the same and make him Daimyo.

"And four weeks later, your father was dead...

"But your brother wanted you and the serving version of the Guardians 12 out of the way. Since he liked neither of you. So he asked for a visible assassination.

"So we complied. Soon, your father was dead. You were framed. The Guardians 12, fired and replaced for incompetence...

"Your brother took the position he wanted so dearly."

"I don't believe you. You're a missing-nin!" shouted the man, not believing a single word that came out of Kakashi's mouth.

Kakashi smiled under his mask and then raised his hitai-ate.

The Daimyo's brother reeled back. He knew he had recognized this man in front of him. Who wouldn't? He said, "Sharingan! In just one eye with a scar! You're Kakashi Hatake, student of the legendary Yondaime!"

"Yes, I am. Could have probably been Hokage if I stayed longer and wished for the position," replied Kakashi as he brought down his forehead protector.

"I defected just yesterday, you see... Anyway, I'll take your mission, soon-to-be Daimyo Itanaka Madoka."

"Just tell me one thing. Itanaka san, why did you want me to assassinate him if you didn't believe he was responsible for the first assassination?" asked Kakashi.

Itanaka said, "My brother is driving the nation into an economic downfall. There has been little development since he took the throne. All he does is lavish around, using what revenue we get for his personal gain! He is not a good ruler."

"Ah... You're a good man Itanaka. I almost feel bad for framing you." said Kakashi

"Almost? You're almost feeling bad?! Because of you, I had to spend years in the wild, fending for myself in foreign regions!" screamed Itanaka.

"You don't want to make me angry, Itanaka-san. I can kill you just as easily as I killed your father. Besides, I'm your only ticket back to the throne," said Kakashi dourly. Itanaka's face paled as he reeled back in fear of Kakashi.

Kakashi then said, "Well, Itanaka-san, we'll meet again in a week. Then, we'll travel to the capital of Hi no Kuni. 

By the way, pay my tab as well in this restaurant" and got up to leave.

He heard Itanaka calling to him about how Kakashi shouldn't be ordering him around or something. Kakashi didn't really care.

This mission was going to be good for him. He'd perfect his new justu, Denji Myakudo [Electromagnetic pulse], his time in the fire nation capital along with the seals to prevent any damage before going to shinobi-infested areas...


	3. Itachi I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi wakes up in the hospital. Talks with Hiruzen, Sasuke and Izumi.

The last thing Itachi remembered was fighting Kakashi. He barely managed to evade Kakashi's Electromagnetic Pulse, and then he saw Sasuke come in. The next he knew, Kakashi's hand was in his shoulder, and he then removed that arm, leaving a giant hole where his shoulder bone should have been. His clavicle was broken. He lost feeling in his left arm. Blood pouring out of the hole in his arm. The electromagnetic pulse had already put him out of his mind, got him dizzy, and now the blood loss was getting to him. He looked at Kakashi throwing a kunai at Sasuke, saying something. He couldn't make it out. 

He screamed, "Run, Sasuke!" Unfortunately, it came out as a desperate whisper. He could only see as Kakashi kicked Sasuke away, Sasuke's eyes widening in fear and anger as Kakashi told him something. 

His vision blurred... Soon he drifted away.

When he woke up, it wasn't in the afterlife as he expected. 

He woke up in a hospital room. It took a few seconds for his vision to adjust to the light. 

He had a splitting headache. He couldn't think straight.

His eyes were burning. 

He'd gathered that the Mangekyou's after-effects were intense. But nothing could have prepared him for the actual thing. 

Kakashi's jutsu most likely made it worse, he supposes. 

He tries to sit up. Only to figure out that his sense of balance is shot. He feels like he's missing something. He then turns to his left and sees that he's been amputated where he was stabbed by Kakashi.

He was now a cripple. Not that it made him any weaker. After all, all he needed to win was make eye contact.

He sat up after a short while with the help of some doctors. 

He asked, "Could you please send someone to the Hokage's office? It is my request to meet him."

One of the doctors said, "The Hokage is already on his way, Itachi-sama. We were ordered to inform him the moment you woke up. He wishes to speak to you himself."

Itachi nodded. He had assumed that he was a prisoner of Konoha. The way the doctor addressed him told him otherwise. He didn't know why this was happening, but it meant that he could protect Sasuke. So he'd take it at face value for now.

While he was pondering, the doctor came to his side and said, "Itachi sama, you must rest for a few days... Whatever Jutsu that traitor Kakashi used on you, it did a number on your nervous system. If not for the stasis seal the ANBU put on you, you wouldn't have survived."

That didn't make sense to Itachi.  ** He  ** was supposed to be the traitor, not Kakashi. Kakashi had been sent there to kill him so he wouldn't be a liability. Right?

The doctor continued, "You may have known this already. But in case you didn't, you have a disease, congenital... You have at most, ten years left, Itachi sama."

"We also checked your brother. Fortunately, your brother didn't inherit the disease." 

He had known about his disease. What he hadn't known was that he had such little time left. Luckily, Sasuke would never be bound by this disease. Itachi nodded and asked, "Leave me alone until the Hokage arrives."

The Hokage arrived in around 15 minutes. When inside, he ordered, "Leave us alone!"

He walked up to Itachi's bed and sat on a chair beside Itachi. He put up privacy seals around them.

He said, "The official story we're going with is that Kakashi hated the Uchiha from the very beginning. Since they did not accept his friend's sacrifice and labeled him a killer. 

"So he waited. For seven years, he spread rumors about them. That they were the cause of the Kyubi attack. Then he let the village do his work for him. Separating themselves from the Uchiha clan members to the point where villagers would flinch if an Uchiha showed up. 

Then when he knew that no one would be able to save the Uchiha, he struck and killed all of them. 

Fortunately, you and Team Ro managed to save all children. You intercepted Kakashi and fought with him. But he managed to put you down. Your team arrived in the nick of time, applied that stasis seal on you, and managed to save your life."

The unofficial story went unsaid.

So Kakashi had taken the fall for him. An innocent man was now on the run because of him. 

They both sat in silence.

Itachi asked, "Hokage-sama, what would your answer be if the Hyuuga had asked to be moved closer to the village center? If they had asked for more missions with shinobi from the rest of the village?"

Hiruzen was speechless. He had not expected that question at all. Hiruzen knew that he'd have answered yes in a heartbeat. But because the same demands were made by Fugaku, head of the Uchiha clan, he hadn't agreed to it. He'd have agreed to it had it been any other clan other than the Uchiha.

And Itachi knew that too. He said, "That's all I needed to hear Hokage-sama."

He continued, "I wish for a private funeral for my clan, without any outsiders. This is the funeral for my dead clansmen. Not a function for the villagers to blame Kakashi for their faults. I say that in my full capacity as Head of the Uchiha Clan."

"Itachi, the rest of the clans will not like this."

"They did nothing but ostracize us anyway, and not because of the machinations of one man, and not just for the past seven years. It's been happening since the founding of the village. 

"Members of the clan have been forced to choose between their kin and Konoha from the beginning. We chose Konoha over a clan member when we disowned Madara. 

"Me, Shisui, and many others chose the village over the clan. I am sure that if a coup were to happen, most of us would side with Konoha.

"Madara, one of the two shinobi who worked the hardest for this village, was ostracized for being an Uchiha. 

"He realized that the village feared us. That they would push us as far away as possible because of that.

"He realized that clan would eventually be brought to our current position. He tried warning us. But we chose Konoha over him.

"In the wars, we always took the most damage. We took the biggest hit during the Kyuubi attack. 

"What did we get in return? We were forced to move to the village outskirts on an unfounded accusation. 

"We were practically forced outside the village!

"Yet, we stayed silent. We protected the village from itself, did its dirty work, kept its prisoners away from them, and what did we get in return- fear, contempt, hatred.

"Our  _ demands  _ were just to be moved closer to the village. To take more missions with non-clan members. To get more non-Uchiha members in the police force. But you and your advisors didn't budge. Always looking for an ulterior motive that was never there! 

The village drove us to become so desperate to use a coup as a bargaining chip!

"We never wanted to coup! We  ** love  ** the village! Why would we willingly kill our comrades? Our friends?

"My father requested these things for five years before a coup was even on the table as a bargaining chip. And until three months ago, we weren't even planning to go ahead with it.

But even after threatening a coup, we weren't given what we wanted. So we were forced there. Now, my clansmen are dead. By my hand because I chose the village instead of my clan just like my ancestors did.

"We now have a clean slate. I am no longer the heir to the clan of monsters. 

"The clan is now filled with the last survivors of Kakashi's massacre. I am the hero who fought him off. 

"The clan will finally receive the respect that it deserves.

"However unfortunate it may be that this respect came at the cost of our parents.

"And I will not have the rest of the village  _ comfort _ the young children of my clan by telling them that Kakashi is responsible for everything just to feel better about themselves"

Hiruzen sighed and asked, "Why didn't you tell me before that a coup was never on the table. Why didn't you tell me, for two years?"

"Because, if I did, your advisors would have also known through you and would never take us seriously enough, just like they didn't, for the first five years. And the Uchiha would continue to be ostracized for even more time, and the coup would've happened even earlier if I told you that it was never on the table."

Hiruzen just sat there in shock. He asked, "So what do you intend to do now? Will you stay there or move out?"

"Now, staying in the clan grounds shows strength, so no, we will not be moving out. Besides, the part about the clansmen taking missions with others is out of the question anyway. The police force will need to be restaffed. I request that the new police force has members from all the clans.

"I want all the Uchiha eyes to be burnt. I also don't want any Uchiha shinobi's DNA to remain intact. I wish for everything to be incinerated.

"While the funeral will be private, tomorrow, until noon, the rest of the village will be allowed to pay their respects to the dead Uchiha at the gate of the compound.

"These are my only requests Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen nodded. This was the least he could do for the clan. They had been there for Konoha, and Konoha had let them down.

Itachi stood up and told, "By your leave, Hokage-sama, I need to see how my brother is doing."

Hiruzen nodded as Itachi walked out.

Itachi walked out of the hospital room. The doctors were shocked to see him out already. They came running to him.

"Itachi-sama, you need to rest. You are in no condition to be roaming around." said one of the doctors.

"My brother is more important to me than my health, so if you would please, lead me to where he is."

The doctors said, "Itachi-sama, fortunately, your brother suffered only a minor bruise. Hokage sama told us to keep him in the hospital. It wouldn't be good for him to be in such an environment. We can call him to your room, Itachi sama. He is mostly healed and is probably going through schoolwork at this time... You, on the other hand, are still recovering."

"No need to call him. I'll go myself. I'm trained to fight and use my body to its best. Even if I were still bleeding in my arm." Said Itachi pointing at his now amputated left arm, "I think I can handle walking to my brother's room after having been healed."

The doctors relented under his stern gaze, and they took him to the room Sasuke was in.

Itachi saw Sasuke studying solemnly. He was most likely being forced to keep up with his schoolwork. He hated that Kakashi had taken the fall for him. But he still felt that it was somehow better this way, now that he could spend time with Sasuke. He hated that he felt that way. What had Kakashi senpai sacrificed for him?

But just looking at Sasuke's face brought happiness to his heart.

He said, "Sasuke,"

Sasuke looked at his brother, and the gloom left his face. It brightened again when he saw Itachi. Itachi was the only ray of sunshine in Sasuke's now dark world without his mother. Sasuke dropped whatever he was doing and ran instantly to Itachi and hugged him.

Sasuke cried, "Nii-san! I thought you were dead! The doctors wouldn't let me near you! 

"Your body wasn't moving! Please don't leave me like that again! 

Even mama and papa are gone! I was afraid you were dead too! I was so frightened!"

Sasuke broke down into tears. 

Itachi just stood, hugging Sasuke. What was he supposed to say? He held him tightly. He crouched and said, "Sasuke, you needn't worry about me. I will  ** always  ** be there for you. And I promise I will  ** never ** leave you alone."

That seemed to calm him down a little. He asked, "Promise?"

Itachi said, "Yes, Sasuke. I promise"

Sasuke just hugged him again. They stayed like that for a while. 

Sasuke then pulled away and said, "Nii-san, I now have the Sharingan. So you can train me. We can then take down that man!"

Itachi looked at Sasuke's solemn face with the Sharingan. 

He wanted to make sure that Sasuke's eyes never evolved further.

He said, "Sure, I will train you. We can take that man down together."

He wasn't sure if he could actually beat Kakashi. Kakashi knew about Amaterasu, and he was smart enough to not make eye contact. There is no way Kakashi doesn't come up with a counter for Amaterasu. 

He knew that Kakashi put himself through hell in training. How else would the man improve month after month?

In his time in Kakashi's team, Kakashi would do team training monthly. And every month, he'd have improved so much. Itachi was honestly jealous of Kakashi's improvement curve. 

"You'll have to go through hell if you want to beat Kakashi," he said to both himself and Sasuke.

Sasuke looked at him and said, "I will go through the depths of hell and back, again and again, and again, if it means I can beat that man!"

He had the conviction that was needed for it. 

"Then be prepared for it. From tomorrow, we'll train together."

Sasuke nodded in acceptance.

"I need to meet the other survivors as well. So rest now, brother mine. You'll need it," said Itachi as he left Sasuke to meet the others.

Itachi then remembered that all children were alive. Izumi was still technically a child. He didn't hold much hope knowing she had been a genin. He asked, "Is Izumi Uchiha alive?"

"Yes, Itachi sama, would you like me to lead you to her?"

"Yes." Said Itachi

"Follow me, Itachi sama," said the doctor as he directed him to Izumi's room. 

He said, "Izumi-san had it much worse than you. She had a large gash in her gut. She had lost a lot of blood before being brought here. More blood than even you had lost. It was hard keeping her alive. But she'll live. Her consciousness comes and goes." 

"Lead me to her as fast as you can," said Itachi.

"Of course, Itachi-sama."

Soon they reached Izumi's ward. Upon reaching the room, Itachi took a seat next to Izumi. He took her hand in his.

He said, "Izumi chan, I'm here. The bad times, they're all gone. It's just us now. Please wake up, Izumi chan." He'd spent seventy years with her in Tsukiyomi last time he was awake. He'd rather not spend a single day without her if he could.

"We can live the life I showed you. We can do everything again. Please, Izumi-chan, wake up.

"I'll buy you your favorite Dango from granny's shop every day. I'll make you your favorite katsudon every day. Please wake up. Please!"

He just lay there holding his hand in hers. He said, "I'll do everything you ask for, Izumi-chan. Please get up."

"I'm at least making it to your ANBU team this time around, Itachi-kun," Izumi whispered.

"Of course, Izumi chan. You'll make it into my ANBU team." Itachi chuckled while wiping away his tears.

"I'm not retiring from shinobi-work either. Like hell, I'm going to stay at home while you are off doing missions."

Itachi chuckled in response. He was happy.

He thought he only had Sasuke. He has Izumi as well now.

The both of them just talked for a few minutes about what they would do differently this time around. 

It was already past sunset. The doctor came in and said, "Itachi sama, I request you to rest. You need sleep. Neither of you is leaving the hospital tonight."

He nodded. He looked at Izumi and said, "I'll bring Sasuke as well tomorrow. We can meet all the others as well. Good night, Izumi-chan." 

Izumi smiled at him and bid him a good night.

Before going to sleep, he went to the memorial stone. The place Kakashi visited the most. There, he promised himself, that he'd make sure that Kakashi's sacrifice wouldn't be in vain. Kakashi's name may not have been on the stone, but he knew that Kakashi deserved as much respect as the many shinobi whose names were engraved here.

As he turned to leave, he heard a voice from behind, "Itachi Uchiha, have you forgotten our deal?"

Itachi turned to face the masked man who called himself Madara. Itachi knew Madara was dead. But this man in front of him had the Sharingan and the Mangekyou Sharingan. He had also been willing to help Itachi. So Itachi just took it at face value and planned to figure out who he was later on in his time with the Akatsuki.

He said, "Madara, the circumstances have changed. Besides, I'm an amputee now. I also have a disease that will render me weak in a decade or so. Kakashi, on the other hand, isn't an amputee. He has the mangekyou too and is just as well versed with the Sharingan as me. He is someone who could have become Hokage if he wished to. So you can instead seek Kakashi."

Madara just stared at Itachi and asked, "And where oh where am I to find him? For all my prowess, Kakashi won't be found if he wants to stay hidden."

Itachi nodded. Kakashi was the best tracker in Konoha. That also meant he was the best at covering his own tracks. He said, "Then wait until he wants to be seen. Kakashi throws himself into life and death situations pretty often. You'll find him if you look close enough. I am not going to join the Akatsuki. At this point, short of kidnapping me and pulling me to the Akatsuki, you don't have any means of forcing me to join your group."

"If you don't join, your brother's life will be in danger," said Madara.

Itachi said, "Whatever makes you think that threatening my brother will make me want to join you?"

Madara said, "You will pay for this, Uchiha Itachi, with everything dear to your life," as he vanished into the darkness. Itachi had just made a terrible enemy. For the first time, he was afraid, afraid that he'd put Sasuke's life in danger. Doubts seeped into his mind. But he knew one thing, he would always keep Sasuke within his sights.

**Author's Note:**

> Weekly Updates!


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